1 Samuel 15 (Part 1) Bible Study (The Lord Rejects Saul) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

First Samuel chapter 15. It has been a couple of weeks since we have delved into our study of this book, book of first Samuel together. And in case anyone forgot or you're here for the first time tonight, we are still focusing on a specific character that is tucked into this book. And he is actually, historically, the first king that was ordained by God, sort of, for the people of Israel. His name is King Saul.

And it is through the life of King Saul that we are given worthy examples of what God expects from us when it comes to serving him in his kingdom. But unfortunately with King Saul, he radiates more of negativity than positivity. He's not the greatest example. He had some flicker of hope in the beginning of his introduction, but that has quickly died down into chaos and confusion and and scary characteristics concerning someone who's supposed to represent and claim to follow the true and living God. But just because he's a bad example, doesn't mean we can't learn from him.

In fact, again, as you heard, he is a real person, a historical figure, real, and God has given him to us in our bibles to provide warning. And as the people of God, we should be open to invite warnings from the word of God. To invite warning is to invite nectar from a flower. We receive wisdom from it. And you and I need wisdom, and one of the ways of gaining wisdom is from learning from the failures of others.

So that we don't repeat those failures ourselves. As we come to this chapter, chapter 15, we've reached a pivotal moment in the life of King Saul concerning his relationship with the Lord and his task, his calling as a king. Let me summarize it in this. This is where it goes downhill. This is where he crosses a line of no return.

Saul now is about to move on in such a way where he will not be provided a u-turn sign. He is going to cross the line where he will now be forever sealed in his fate concerning losing the favor of God and losing the potential of being an influence for his name. And as we come to this chapter, we have to also realize this, because now we're coming to the crescendo of this man's failures. Please be reminded of this. Whenever somebody crashes their testimony to the ground, it doesn't just happen overnight.

Great failures begin with a preparation. Before there is a crash, there have been cracks in the foundation long before in someone's character. So whenever you look at some big name in evangelicalism that has fallen, realize that there were cracks and there was smoke before the fire. Long before, perhaps even decades before. And you and I have studied enough concerning Saul with the short chapters that we explore.

We've seen the red flags. We've seen the concerning alarming things that have led to this moment. God has been gracious. God will still be gracious, but there comes a point, especially if you are in a place of influence or leadership where God says, I love you, but I have to put you on the shelf. This whole chapter is about obedience.

True obedience. What it is, what it looks like. And it's one of the strongest illustrations, not for the lost. This isn't an evangelistic bible study. This is for the people of God.

And we're gonna see here one of the reasons why so many people do not have longevity in their callings for God. I mean, there are some Christians that don't even know their callings for God. So take that take that faction out. I'm talking about those who have a calling. They know they have a calling.

Even then, there is warning for them because there are secrets. Well, it's not really secrets, just insights to how we can flourish instead of fail. Let's read a few verses, shall we? And then we'll dissect it. It's too large of a chapter for one sitting.

We have to divide at least two or three portions. Verse one. And Samuel said to Saul, the Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel. Now, therefore, listen to the words of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts, I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came out of Egypt.

Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey. So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim. 200,000 men on foot and 10,000 men of Judah. And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley.

Then Saul said to the Kenites, Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah, as far as shore, which is East of Egypt. First thing that we see here in verse one is that Samuel, who is the spiritual leader of the nation of Israel, is now approaching the political and the military leader of Israel, King Saul.

And what he is telling him is, I have a divine mission for you. You have been anointed for this purpose, and I'm about to give you your next next task as the king. And here's your task. You must destroy completely this people group called the Amalekites. Now before we move on, this sets the precedence.

This sets the theme of this chapter. No matter who Saul was, no matter what kind of status he had in society, it didn't mean a thing that he was the the most popular and most known figure in his day. Saul was still subject to a higher authority. Saul was still subordinate to someone higher than him. Saul, like all followers of Jesus Christ, depending not on who you are in society, or what kind of money you make, or how beautiful you are, it doesn't mean a thing.

If you've chosen to answer the call of God, you and I are subject to something called obedience. The Christian is defined by obedience. True Christianity is evaluated and measured by obedience. In fact, love is inseparable from obedience. Jesus said very clearly in Luke six, why do you call me Lord and do not do what I say?

It doesn't matter how much somebody pounds it with their social media, or with their friends, or in their family. It doesn't mean a thing how much you say it. It's proven by how you live it. This is simple basic Christianity. This is discipleship one zero one.

This is radical to the American church because for the longest time, we've missed what the gospel is. And so just be reminded today, that like Saul, we are all called to obey God, and to surrender to God simply means this, you have been sitting on the throne of your will your whole life, and when you heard the gospel, have been convicted and convinced that he is Lord, he is savior, you get off that throne, and you hail Jesus as king on that throne. The call to the gospel is not a call to repeat a prayer so that you can get a ticket to heaven. The call to the gospel is for you to die to yourself and let Christ live in you. And so in this place here, we see that Saul is being reminded, you have been anointed, you've been called.

You are called not to live your life freely as you please. No. You are subject to the commands of God even though you are king. And so here's your mission. And he says in verse two and three, what?

I have noted What an interesting phrase. It's found in the ESV. Other translations would say, I remember. Equally vital and crucial. I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way out of Egypt.

God set this radical command that this people group called the Amalekites would be totally wiped off the face of the earth based on something that their people did hundreds of years ago. Bible study, questions, answer, some participation. What did the Amalekites do? Let me ask this. Where are we first introduced to the Amalekites concerning their relationship with Israel?

Anybody remember? You would remember if you were in that stuffy house many years ago. Where do we first see the Amalekites coming and interacting with the nation of Israel? Anybody remember? Exodus.

Yes? Which chapter? Come on students. Yes. Exodus chapter 17, after the people were miraculously provided with water, we read in verse eight.

After this wonderful miraculous provision by God, after this great testimony of his love and his care for his people, we read in Exodus 17 verse eight, then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. This is the first place that we see it and this highlights the motive of their crime. Notice here that when Israel was first delivered out of Egypt, when they came out and they had that salvation experience with God, which is pictured through coming out of the world, coming out of the clutch of pharaoh, going through the Red Sea, which is a picture of baptism according to Paul and Corinthians, and now they're in this wilderness, and just like how it is in the Christian life, Satan is out to get you and destroy you as soon as possible. There is no reason for this. There is no motive for this.

Israel was not a threat to anybody. They didn't have a standing army. They didn't even have weapons. They just had sandals, the clothes on their back, and faith to walk through this desert. And all for a sudden, these people called Amalek come and they attack.

They attack them with no no sense. Just because they were filled with greed and they were thirsty for blood. It was purely evil. But there's a spiritual implication behind it. We know that God was redeeming this people for a grander purpose, so that he could prepare a nation.

He could prepare a bloodline for the Messiah to come through, not just to save the Jews, but the Gentiles as well. And I believe the Amalek were chosen vessels by Satan to try to come and eradicate the Jews in their infancy. To try to destroy them and wipe them off the face of the Earth. Here is Satan attempting to thwart God's redemptive plan on the Earth, And that's serious in God's eyes. He took note.

So the motive here is diabolical, it's satanic, it's antichrist, it's anti cross, it's anti redemption. But it's not until you go to Deuteronomy 25 verse 17 where you see the viciousness of their attack, then you get the details of not just why they did it, but how they did it. Deuteronomy twenty five seventeen, remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, he tells them in verse 18. He says it plain and clear, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary and cut off your tail, Those who are lagging behind you, and he did not fear God. So now we understand that they came after them when they were weak and vulnerable, and they came after the tail, those who were probably physically more disabled and maybe the elderly.

They they had no sense of mercy. They didn't consider that they were not a threatening presence. They had no concern. They just wanted to eat them from the tail to the head. And so God was was seeing how this people were treating a very vulnerable nation.

And let me remind you tonight that God has special judgment for those who take advantage of those who are weak and vulnerable. Consider what Jesus said about how people who make children sin will be treated. It's better for you to take a boulder, wrap it around your neck with a rope, and jump off a bridge into the abyss of the ocean than for you to cause a little one to sin. And so God takes note, listen carefully, especially you guys. God takes note of how you will take advantage of those who are weak.

Emotionally weak. Right? There she is. She's going through a rough time, and you're gonna come in, and you're gonna pretend to be a nice caring individual, but you have a different you have a different motive in mind. Right?

Financially weak. I fear for preachers that take advantage and bleed people for money, when they don't have money to pay their bills so that they can add more gold to their golden thrones. And so God takes special note of those who not just sin against others, but take advantage of them in their vulnerable condition. And that's what Amalek did. And he highlights it in verse 18 of Deuteronomy 25.

This is not just flesh, this was the fruit of the lack of the fear of God. So So you know why people do what I just said? It's because they don't know God. They don't fear God. When you fear God, you don't take advantage of the vulnerable.

You help them. You build them up. You strengthen them. You pour hope into them. You did not fear God.

Amalek was greater than just attacking the nation. Amalek was guilty of fighting against God himself. You've assaulted my name. You are you are trying to mess with my plan on the earth. You are trying to attack my people who are an extension of my desire and my purposes.

So if you're gonna mess with the extension of who I am, you're messing with me. And so, you're reading this and you're thinking that that makes sense, but I have an objection. How is it that God though will hold a people accountable for something that their ancestors have done hundreds of years ago? How is it that God will punish a people hundreds of years after that is completely unrelated? It's just their history.

Oh, is it? Will not the judge of the earth do right? Are the people in this point, at this time, in this generation completely disassociated with what their parents have done? God is highlighting the crime that initiated it all, but we see here clearly, look here in chapter 14 verse 48, speaking about Saul's ministry. And he did valiantly and struck the Amalekites and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plunder them.

Oh, would you know it? That the Amalekites, even hundreds of years after what they've done in Exodus, are still at it again. Generation after generation, they were an enemy to this people. In fact, more than that, we learned that what Amalek did from the beginning, they were only discipling their offspring into doing more. They were raising up consecutive people from their bloodline to continually see the servants of God as a threat.

And so we have to understand that God is not holding people accountable for something that they did not do, but what they are still doing. What they are still doing. And as we read this, we think, okay, that that might be that might be answered, but how is it that how is it that there's infants and children? Come on, that's like genocidal language. How do you justify that?

Well, I would say this, that how God is going to treat the Amalekites is no different than how he has treated other nations in the past. He is fair on all grounds. In Genesis fifteen sixteen, God told Abraham that he would enter into the land of Canaan, but not until the wickedness of the Amorites, not the Amalekites, a different people group, have fulfilled their sin until the fourth generation. In other words, God says, I'm not bringing you to displace a people and to destroy them just because you need some land. If God really wanted the nation of Israel to have land, he could have created land.

No. No. No. No. I have a multipurpose in you coming into the promised land, and you're not moving in until this people, the Amorites, have reached the point where their sin has cost them their lives.

And you know how many generations? Multiple generations before God moved in with judgment. And that is the same with the Amalekites. He didn't destroy the Amalekites immediately. He waited generation after generation.

If this says anything, this declares the mercy of God. This shares and shows us that God is not quick to judgment. Even with the horrific crimes that they have committed to other people in their own. And so this is what's happening. Pay attention.

God stretches out the appointment between their great sin and their judgment with the hopes of what? For the same reason why Jesus has not come back yet. That more would reach repentance. Do you know why God is not crashing through the sky to destroy those who are killing babies in the womb? Do you know why God is not infiltrating our generation to slaughter and to extend them into an eternal hell for selling the bodies of teenage girls and pre pubescent girls.

You know why? Because he's waiting for them to repent. He wants them to repent. And you and I might think that is a boggling thing. Well, if you had a revelation of what hell was like, like Jesus did, you would understand why he is patient.

He preached about it the most because he created it himself, and he knew what it's like. And so he's prolonging it, even though the viciousness of people is only intensifying. And that's what he's doing here, but still, why kids, man? Come on. Infants and children?

That's what we just read here. And this is one of the arguments of the atheist. Your God is genocidal. He calls for ethnic cleansing. No, he calls for ethical cleansing.

In other words, God in extending this time between the sin of this people and their appointment for judgment, does not just teach us his mercy, it teaches us something about the depravity of man. Do you realize what's happening here? Right? Instead of a reflection being caused by time, instead of repentance being explosive in their hearts because they realize what they are doing and what they have done, all they're doing is solidifying and compounding their sin. All they're doing is raising up a fresh new generation that will only heap more sin upon the perversion of the past generation.

And so God was much smarter than all of us. God who possesses a wisdom that is as high as the heaven is from the earth, realizes something, that in this time where he wants them to repent, they are only doing this, setting a pattern. Setting a pattern and showing, you wait another hundred years, we'll just raise up two more generations that will be even more wicked and vile than we were in the past. And there just comes a point, there just comes a place in life where God says enough is enough. And in my foreknowledge and in the proof of the fact that throughout generations all you're doing is raising up more evil breeds, I must put it to an end and I have to cut it off now.

So that's what God is doing. Why infants and children? Because they have proven from generations past that they are not showing any sign of changing, any sign of turning back, any sign of repentance. Only discipling and raising up even more wicked and vile and despicable Amalekites. And so God is going to, God is going to pay it, pay it forward.

If you were trying to attack my people by war, then I am going to judge you through my people by war. And that's what he's planning to do. But on another note, I have noted what Amalek did to Israel. You know, that's an encouraging thing to me. God takes notes.

Maybe you didn't know that. Not that he needs to, but it's language for us humans to understand what he does. God takes notes, and this is encouraging for those who serve God and walk in his ways. Because if you walk in his ways long enough, you'll realize something. You'll be familiar with something called attacks.

Attacks from people. Attacks from within, attacks from outside, attacks from an invisible enemy, attacks from an invisible enemy through visible things. You will know something as onslaughts, and betrayal, and accusations, and all these ugly things, but I take comfort to know tonight that God takes notes. He does. Time doesn't have the same effect on God as it does us.

We might forget what we have done to others. We might even forget what others have done to us. God doesn't. He doesn't. He's not affected by time.

Let this blow your mind tonight. God is at your birthday and your funeral at the same time. He's not bound by time. He's outside of time. He sees it all happening and in this case, what happened hundreds of years ago, was still as fresh it was in this moment right here.

I have noted. I have noted what they have done, and in his uncontaminated and divine wisdom, God knows exactly when to execute judgment on behalf of those who serve him. I don't have to worry about a thing. I don't. I leave it to him.

Lord, you see it. You take note of it. Like, doesn't that lift a burden on you trying to plan a way to retaliate? Like, just breathe out. That's it.

You don't have to lay in bed and meditate, oh, I should say this, I should do God is gonna intervene. God is gonna do it. Leave vengeance to God. He's way better at it than you are. But what if I have done something to others?

God takes note. That's that's a comforting thought for some, but if you only knew what I've done to others and what I just did to somebody yesterday, yeah. You should be afraid, because God doesn't forget. The only thing that will expel and cleanse that record is the blood of Jesus Christ. That's the only thing.

And take note of what Hezekiah sung after he was healed by the Lord and experienced his deliverance. I have to show it to you just so you can see the beauty, the imagery of what God does with every single wrong that you've done. Whether in thought, word or deed. Whether it was in private or in public, whether it was a gross violation or not, realize this. In Isaiah thirty eight seventeen, Hezekiah sings this, behold it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness, but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction.

Now look at this, for you have cast all my sins behind your back. You took all my iniquity, all my shortcomings, all the things that I've done to others, even those who are weak and vulnerable. There's no sin or category of sin that God is not willing to take and throw it behind him. Does that mean that God deletes it from his mind? No.

He would fail to be omniscient. God will choose to never bring it up again. That's what it means. God will never look back at what you've done and pull something that is under the blood and say, remember when you did this? Never.

That's what it means to cover a multitude of sins. When we imitate God's forgiveness, we're imitating that. I'm taking what you've done wrong, You've asked for forgiveness. You've repented. I'm throwing it behind my back and I'm moving on.

And that's what the Lord does for those who have sinned against him, who have sinned against people. That's the only hope you have. That's the only hope you have. When you're outside of Christ, there is not one single thing that you did wrong that God will overlook. Not one.

You'll be shocked to realize what God will bring up. You might have forgotten what you've done wrong, but God didn't. He took note. But when you're inside of Christ, there is not one thing you did wrong that he will hold against you. Not one.

Doesn't matter how gross and dark and perverse it is, There's not one sin. No matter how much you can't forget about it, God has cast it behind his back. I'm never going to bring it up again. In fact, more than that, when I see you at the judgment seat, I will see you as I see my son, Jesus Christ. That's the glorious truth of the gospel.

And so, he says, I have noted I have noted what Amalek did to my people, and it's judgment day. So, Saul, gather your troops, you've been anointed for this, go take care of them once and for all. We're about to learn something today. When God says kill everything, he means kill everything. We'll get to that in a moment.

Verse four. So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim. 200,000 men on foot and 10,000 men of Judah, and Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. This looks really promising. I'm like, Saul, if I don't read past this, Saul, hey, this looks like a man who's not playing games.

This is not small evidence of someone who's taking lightly this command to eradicate a people. You've just recruited 210,000 soldiers. You're making sure that not one Amalekite escapes. Are you are you Saul? That's what you're doing.

Right? Keep this image in mind. Keep those verses in mind, because we're going to quickly learn in two short weeks of the ever so common thing that happens with people, that when they are called to a life of obedience, it's often done in great zeal, with great sacrifice, and great commitment, only to trickle down to something called partial obedience. Partial obedience. That's gonna be Saul's crime.

He's starting out looking great, looking awesome, looking promising. This is like, you are not joking around. You really want to take this command seriously. Welcome to how every person who confesses Christ lives, but not only stays for too long. Not always stays for too long.

Something interesting happens. Verse six, he's waiting in the valley, he's outside the city of the Amalekites with a couple 100,000 men. Things are about to break out, things are about to happen, and all of a sudden, we read of a new people group. And Saul said, listen. Pay attention to this verse, please.

Pay attention to this verse. Then Saul said to the Kenites, go, depart. Go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them, for you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt. So now we have this group, not very familiar with them, called the Kenites. They stand in contrast to the Amalekites.

The Amalekites did great harm to the people when they came out of Egypt. The Kenites instead did great good to the nation of Israel when they came out of Egypt. Here's my question. Who are the Kenites? Does anybody remember?

How are they related to the nation of Israel? It's a good bible study question. This is like the question that you would see at the end of the book. The question on the screen when we do quizzes. Who are the Kenites?

They're related to Moses by marriage. They're related to Moses by marriage. You're right. Where's the reference? Judges.

I don't know about four, but I know one sixteen. And the descendants of the Kenite, Moses's father-in-law, went up with the people of Judah from the city of Palms into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the Negev near Arad, and they went and settled with the people. The Kenites were related to Moses by marriage. Moses's father-in-law was a Kenite. And if you realize that truth, then you know the good that they have done to the nation of Israel.

Many good things. Moses father-in-law helped them organize his ministry. Moses was was the senior pastor of the church and he was having lineups of people asking about everything. Every single question, whether it's a theological question, a practical question, and Moses' father-in-law was like, this is not practical. You're gonna burn out, and he helped them divide with leaders to to spread the ministry and the and the load.

We even realized that the Kennets were so valuable to Moses that Moses, his father-in-law son, he was ready to go back in the book of Numbers and Moses, no no no no no, please don't go back. You've been so valuable to us. You've been like eyes for us, you know where we need to go. Would you not join us into the promised land? Would you not come with us?

And we read that that Moses' father-in-law son does, and that's why the kenites appear in the promised land, and that's why there's good ties between the nation and this people group. So what do we learn from this? The same lesson, but in a different light. God doesn't just remember the wrong, he remembers everything right. Everything right.

Even though it was even though it was an act that you forgot about, God did not forget. God took note of it and God is ready to bless this people by giving them a chance to evade the coming destruction and that is how the nature of God's blessing works. It often comes much later and most of it just to give you a heads up so you're not distracted or disappointed in this life, it's gonna happen mostly when you step into eternity. But God does show his reward in this life. He does to some degree.

He does pour out his grace and mercy and provision because of obedience. There's a book that God has. God has different books. Revelation tells us that the books, plural, were opened. God likes books.

God wrote a book. God has different books. One of the books that God has according to Malachi three sixteen is called the book of what? Tell me. Remembrance.

The book of remembrance. And the purpose of that book is not to take note of the the wickedness of people. I'm sure he has a different library for that. But in Malachi three sixteen, we're told, then those who fear the Lord spoke to one another. And I love this phrase, I read it today and I was like, wow.

Just a small little phrase. The Lord paid attention and heard them. The Lord paid attention and heard them. We forget this, but never forget it, I hope. Every conversation we have with each other, those who fear the Lord spoke to one another, You know who's there?

The Lord himself. And he's paying attention. And let me give you let me give you an insight. He doesn't talk, he just listens. And he doesn't just listen, he takes notes.

He takes notes. And in this case, he's taking notes and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who fear the Lord and esteemed his name. Why a book of remembrance for those who fear God? What are you writing about, Lord? What are you recording?

What are you keeping note of? Well, it's back in verse 14. Malachi three fourteen, we're told of a complaint of the people of God who serve God and this was their complaint. God said, you have said, it is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts?

Why do we have to come in here on on Wednesday nights and beat our breasts, and call out to God, and be broken for a broken world that doesn't even care if they go to hell or not? Why? Why do we have to come and sacrifice? Why am I here on a Friday night? Why do I do things whenever called to do things such What's the point?

Is it really worth it? Cause in verse 15, he says, look at the wicked and how they live. They seem like they have it better off than me. And now we call the arrogant blessed, evil doers not only prosper, but they put God to the test and they escape, like they get away with their wickedness. And then in verse 16 God says, I'm hearing what you're saying and I'm taking note.

And I believe the notes that he's taking is the fact that you think it's vain to serve me when I am calculating your reward. You think it's it's pointless to serve Christ in 2021, when I am I am writing down the things to prepare a gift for you when you come and stand before me. When we stand before the Lord, I think we're gonna be shocked for many reasons. And one of the reasons is gonna be when he opens that book of remembrance. And God is gonna bring up things that you thought had no value, had no significance, was not worth being praised and commended.

Really, Lord? Yeah. So you thought you thought that I wouldn't notice. You thought it wasn't worth it. But look, and I and I I fear this.

I I sometimes, like, I meditate on it and I and I shudder, especially lately as things are getting crazy and the the return of Christ seems more real than ever in my life. I don't wanna stand before the Lord to see the reward for serving him and wish I did more. I I dread that. I'm not afraid to go to hell. There's not one fear in my life that I'm gonna go to hell.

I know I'm loved by him. I know I'm safe and secure. I have not one There's not one thought in my mind that I'm gonna be cast into hell. I'll tell you what I do fear, wasting my life, getting distracted, standing before the Lord and then seeing the reward and being like, are you serious? If I only knew, I would have been such a spiritual doldrum.

I would have been more focused. I would have been more zealous. I would have been more consistent. I would be unshaken. God forbid.

But the kenites here, they're being rewarded for something that's been done many many years ago, and like them, sometimes we don't see the reward of our obedience immediately or for a very long time or not even until eternity. But as I mentioned that song before, I'll say it again, it will all be worth it when we see Jesus. Here's a question though. If these people were so blessed by God, if they had such a wonderful reputation before God's people and God himself, why the warning? Why the warning that they would be destroyed along with the Amalekites?

After all that history, after all the wonderful things, God is saying, if you don't change your address, I will treat you exactly like how I'll treat the Amalekites. Wow. The Kenites are not the enemies of God. The Amalekites are. But notice what God is saying.

You who are standing right with me, I'm calling you not to stand with those who are against me. Move. Because if you're in close proximity with those who are under my judgment, you might be judged yourself. If you choose to be associated with those who hate me, who contradict me, who are hypocritical towards me and my name, what will fall on them might as well fall on you. Be careful.

This is a principle about association. And what he's saying here is if you don't separate yourself from those who are in sin, you will very likely join them in their sin. And if you join them in their sin, you will join them in their punishment. That's what he's saying here. You know, I wanna tell you this tonight, that most of people's troubles in their Christian journey is for one thing, who they associate with.

Like the Kenites, and I'm telling you, just like them, no matter how much wonderful things they've done for the church, and what a blessing they've been to the Christians, and what a wonderful history they've had in their faith, if you're not careful who you associate yourself with, what God will do to them, he might do to you. You're saying, brother, you're you're taking an old testament truth and you're trying to jam it into my new testament context. No. It's new testament context. In fact, it's so New Testament it's in the last book of the Bible.

In Revelation 18 concerning Babylon, the worldly system. In Revelation eighteen four and five, look what God says, not to the world. This is New Testament, guys. I'm not preaching Old Testament. This isn't legalism.

Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, come out of her who? Who? My people. Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues. Is that Old Testament?

Imagine I didn't put Revelation 18 up there, and you just you would think that's Old Testament. That's New Testament. Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, lest you share in her plagues. What is the sequence there? That if you're in the worldly system long enough, it will corrupt you and it will invite you and you will give into it and when you do you will share in the punishment.

That's a serious word. And we might be sitting here tonight and saying, what a beautiful picture in the old testament of being separated from the world. No, it's deeper than that. It's more than just being separated from the world. You ready for this shocker?

It's being separated from some professing Christians too. If you don't believe it, then you're not gonna believe the Apostle Paul. Because he said it loud and clear. He said it in first Corinthians five eleven. He goes, but I'm not talking about the world out there that's in sin.

He says in first Corinthians five eleven, I'm writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother. If he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard or swindler, not even to eat with such a one. Now he says, you can't do this with the world because then you're never gonna associate with anybody. He goes, no, no, no. My main concern by the spirit of God is that you would not associate with those who call themselves a brother, who call themselves a Christian, who profess to be saved, but are what?

Sexually immoral, and then we would stop it there. Like, yeah, if somebody's living an adulterous lifestyle, we should separate. No, he says greed. Think about that. Greed.

If somebody's a greedy person, the Holy Spirit says, sorry. Or is an idolater. Somebody who is an idolater, reviler, drunkard or swindler, not even to eat with such a one. This might thin out your friend group by the way. But what is he speaking about here?

Is he speaking about perfectionism? No. Because all of us would not be hanging out with each other. He's not speaking about somebody that sins and realizes their sin, or when they're rebuked for their sin, confesses and repents of their sin. No.

He's talking about somebody who bears the name of a Christian, but is unconcerned with holiness, that lives in sin and sees no conviction behind it, no sense of guilt behind it, no sense of wanting to be changed by No. They just want to stay in it, they make excuses for it, or they have this fake hollow worldly sorrow in which they pretend to have tears when they have all the while the plan to keep their sin as long as possible. Those people, Paul says. The context is church discipline. And the idea here is that there was somebody who who committed such a grievous sin and was unrepented of it, that Paul says it's time to let him go.

He must not be part of the fellowship anymore. And here's what he's commanding the people. Here's what he's commanding the people in this highest form of church discipline. If you fail to see this and honor this wisdom, you are contributing to their judgment. Because what that person is supposed to sense is, I can't hold on to my sin and hold on to Christian fellowship.

I can't hold on to the beauties and the joys of being in fellowship with God's people, while being in fellowship with Satan and darkness. You're gonna have to let go of one or the other. Now, here's the problem here. If a person, if a Christian is unwilling to do this in the name of love, you're doing the most unloving thing for that person. Do you know why?

Because what's supposed to convince them otherwise, you're only convincing them to remain deceived. When they're supposed to realize there's a cost to my sin, you're showing them, no, you can still have these blessings and your sin and they are only gonna be solidified in their rebellion. So what does Paul say to a certain measure? Here's the principle. Whether you realize it or not, association is a sign of approval.

Association is a sign of approval. And he's saying, be careful because you might be disciplined alongside. And if you will not be disciplined, you are definitely contributing to more chastisement to the person who is unrepented of their sin. That's the warning. I don't hang out with notorious gossipers.

I don't. Do you know why? Because when they're gonna make a train wreck of their reputation, I don't want my reputation to be tarnished either. I don't do business deals with shady businessmen. It doesn't matter if they're called Christians or not.

Why? Because when God will discipline them for their mishandling and their dishonesty with money, I don't want my contribution in those shady things to be coming upon me either. I don't deal with people and entertain the presence of those who would usurp and be rebellious towards authority. Why? Because God didn't just judge Korah, who is the main spokesperson, God judged those who were standing with Korah.

There is safety in separation. The Kenites, their only safety no matter who they were was they had to pull themselves away from the Amalekites, lest they fall under some kind of condemnation with the Amalekites. I hope that makes sense. And that's why Proverbs says, fear the Lord and the king and do not join with those who do otherwise. Fear the Lord and the king and do not join with those who do otherwise.

It's okay if you don't have that many friends. You're better off. Better have a handful of friends that fear God than having innumerable friends that can lead you into disaster yourself. I'm telling you, many people encrusting them today are like the Kenites. If they were to only examine the seriousness of their associations, they would know a liberty and a freedom like they could not even imagine.

And in this case, these guys are wise. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites at the end of verse six. Hey, it was nice being your neighbors. We love God more than you. Hope it works out.

Now is that saying that we don't give hope to people and we don't reach I'm not talking about that. If you misinterpreted that, then you're not understanding the word association. Associations meaning partnership, fellowship, that you can actually do life with these people and not be an effect upon them and them just being comfortable in their sin around you. Paul says, you're not helping them. You're not helping them.

In fact, you're incurring judgment upon them and God might have to deal with you as well. Be careful. And we see here in verse seven. And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as shore, which is East of Egypt. So after the Kenites move, they move in, they destroy the Amalekites.

I mean, if you don't read past verse seven, you think they did it. Saul obeyed. Oh, okay. He had some mistakes in the past, but this is a big thing and you did it? Praise be to God.

Just read the next verse. Verse eight. And he took Agag, the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the rest of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good and would not utterly destroy them. Same old Saul.

In verse seven, it's like, wow. He destroyed them from border to border. He took care of it. He completed the mission. Next verse, he killed everyone except one.

He kept one. Now at this point, trickling into next week, the Amalekites is gonna be a picture to us of what sin is in our lives. And the Amalekites, because Christians don't fight with swords, we don't hear from God and say go kill this people group and go to that nation and cause war. No. The only war that we're worried about is the war with our sin.

The Amalekites here are a picture of sin and as I said earlier, God's command concerning sin in our lives is that we kill everything. Not somethings, everything. And Saul obeyed but he left one area of his life untouched by the influence of God's sovereignty and authority. He said, I'm going to keep Agag. For whatever reason he did, perhaps he was a trophy to show off to the nation.

Look who I have. He kept Agag. And this is the thing, he did so and you're gonna read on, convinced that he actually obeyed God. Samuel is gonna come on the scene and Saul's gonna come up and say, I've obeyed the Lord. How?

It's a picture of how most people are convinced that God is convinced that if I give everything except one thing in God's eyes, it's still everything. And that's not true. Partial obedience is total disobedience in God's eyes. Partial obedience is total disobedience in God's eyes. See, in our minds, if we were the one who gave the issue of the command to Saul, and he came back with one person out of the, who knows, thousands, tens upon thousands of people, we would think, you got one year, you did most of the damage, you're good.

Good job. 99% on the grade. But God doesn't think like we do. God doesn't calculate and evaluate the things of life, sin, and righteousness, and holiness, and obedience the same way we do. Here's a little illustration to help.

This came to mind, hopefully it sticks. When I was a little child, went to the dentist office with my mother, it was just her and I once, long hours at the dentist office. And then there was this toy box, I remember so clearly there was this toy box and it had a lid on it. And near the end while my mom was in there doing whatever she had to do, I opened the toy box and I found this plastic bag and I realized quickly that it was filled with coins. So I took the plastic bag and I opened it.

Remember, I'm just a child, and I think I found like a million dollars, probably $27. But I opened it and it was a bunch of pennies, and a bunch of dimes and nickels, and in Canada, we have things called loonies and toonies. Those are $1, $2 in the form of coins. We didn't have paper $1 bills. No, we had golden coins, golden $2 coins.

So there was loonies and toonies in there. I was like, I'm settled for life. I'm done. Like I don't need to work a day in my life. I'm good.

It's like the equivalent to the lottery for like 11 year old. So I found this bag filled with loonies and toonies and other things and I just kept it to myself. And finally my mom finished and I was just hiding it and we walked down. As we walked out, it was in a mall setting. I took the bag open and I showed my mom.

She goes, where did you get that from? It's not like I robbed some guy while she was like on the dentist chair. And I said, well I found it. I found it in the toy box. And she stopped me.

We didn't go to the car. She stopped me and she goes, listen to me. I want you to go back to the office and tell the lady at the front that you found this in the office. I was like, no mom, I found this. This is mine.

Nobody nobody you know, I'm trying to convince my mom. Listen, if you do this, whether they take it back or not, I will reward you for it. And I stood there and I was thinking about it and I was calculating it. And I said, okay. So I went back in there, I went to the lady, the lady was like, woah, what is this?

I don't know if this was here, da da da. And I said, well, you know, do you want to take it back? Maybe somebody forgot. She goes, you know what? You can take it.

Which looking back in retrospect, it was probably like 75¢ in total. Who knows what was in there? She's like, nobody's gonna care. Go ahead. So I took it back, and I went to my mother, and I told her honestly.

She trusted my word, and she gave me a dollar on top of it. She rewarded me for that. Now, what would it have been like if my mom said, go and tell the lady that you found this in the office. And I said, okay. And on my way back, I took out one loonie and a couple toonies and a few quarters, and on my way I entered it and I said, I found this bag and I just wanted to be honest and and give it back.

Let's say I even just took $1. Let's say I took 25¢, just one one quarter from that bag. And I came back to my mom and I said, I'd listen to what you have to say. Is that obedience? Is that noble?

Is that worthy of praise? It's just a quarter though. 10¢. What if she said, go back and tell her you found this, and this is what we do as Christians, this is what we do as followers of Christ, we're honest, and God will honor your honesty. Okay.

And I went back and I just snuck 10¢. I found this bag and I just want to be honest. How do you think my mom would have responded if she knew, she saw me at the corner of her eye with those Middle Eastern piercing eyes? If she saw me and I said, mom, I didn't. She says, honey, did you take 10¢ out of the bag?

Would she be proud as a parent? Would she appraise me as a son? Okay. So why are we giving God such a hard time with this? If as a parent, you would not expect anything less for your child with such a simple illustration.

This is far greater than 10¢ out of a bag filled with dirty coins. This is a matter of generational consequences because what Saul is about to realize, maybe he won't realize it, what David will realize, what Esther will realize, what people down the line will realize was because Saul didn't obey, it would have generational consequences. Partial obedience is total disobedience in God's eyes and the more we're conformed to the image of Christ, the more we will think as he thinks. Why did Saul not do it? We just read here, we'll read it again verse nine in closing.

But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen, and of the fattened calves. Remember, he said destroy every living thing that breathes. And the lambs, all that was good. See, in Saul's mind, he looked at the terrain, he looked at these beasts, and he said, these are good. Why why would God want to kill these animals?

So what does he do? The last part of the verse, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless, they devoted to destruction. So everything that was like blind or limping or hideous or weak, they said, I'll kill those. That makes sense.

But these precious things, these fattened calves, these strong beasts of the field, no, keep them. Because in Saul's mind it was good, but in God's mind it was evil. And we're gonna find out the raw reason for why Saul did this, but in a general sense, it's as simple as this. He interpreted his human wisdom to God's commands. He interpreted his human understanding to God's divine wisdom and he reinterpreted the command because in Saul's eyes it was good, in God's eyes it was evil.

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. We're seeing it today. We're seeing it today. We're seeing a redefinition, an alteration to God's commands and it's only getting more perverse and more dark. Love between a man and a man are well, what's the big deal love?

Why is it hurting you? In fact, they're better than some husband and wives. Why don't you let them have a family? In God's eyes, abomination. In man's eyes, it's good.

Look, if they want to be called a woman but they're a man, if they want those pronouns, if they want to be identified as that, what's the big deal? They're living in their own world, they're not harming you. In God's eyes, wicked. In man's eyes, compassionate. And we see that example, after example, after example.

Refusing to exercise church discipline, not taking sin seriously in the congregation, not considering as a leadership the seriousness of God's holy people being holy, forgiving and merciful. And so Saul is is doing what many are doing today, but what many people are doing today, because remember, when God said, woe to those who call evil good and good evil, he wasn't talking about the world. He was talking about his own. He was talking about his own people that should have known better. And churches today are redefining what is evil and redefining what is good, and they are doing no different than what Saul is doing with this.

But they are either willfully ignorant or turning a blind eye to this truth of what happens to Saul because of that. Because of Saul's redefinition of what is good and what is evil, what is he gonna do? What churches are doing today? Forfeiting the favor and the presence of God. And more than that, because Saul here, in this chapter, is not just gonna lose his anointing.

Saul is not just gonna lose his stance and his favor and the grace of God to do what he was called to do. He's actually gonna open his life up to demonic spirits. And it's no different than churches today who are calling good evil and evil good. They're not just gonna forfeit God's favor, God's blessing, God's power, God's presence, God's conviction, God's healing. They're not just gonna forfeit that.

They're gonna open their churches, their leadership and the people to devils. And so, partial obedience is disobedience in God's eyes. And I wanna say this because we're ending there. Here's my final burning question in this bible study. What are you keeping alive that you know God told you to kill?

God said, kill everything. He kept Agag alive. And this is what is becoming very popular in our day. It's called selective repentance. It's where a person convinces himself because they gave up all of this, like, God, I give you my tithe and I come to church, I can surely hold on to this because we think that God is pleased, but wait, we're pleased.

The majority is surrendered, but you can have a little bit of some. And that's what people are doing. God, look I killed this and I repented of that, I turned away from this, I don't do that any longer, but there's this, and it's been alive and leaving living and you're feeding it and it's still breathing, and God said, I told you to kill everything. There's some things in your life that you're still letting live, and God said, it's supposed to be slaughtered. Bring it to the foot of the cross.

Let the Holy Spirit's power overcome it in your life. But God can't do it until you give it up. God can't do it until you give it up. You know what that is. And I will tell you this, man guys, I'm telling you, there are Christians, professing Christians that you meet, that because they have not applied that rule, stay in the same place and they wonder why there's no excitement in their faith.

They wonder why they're bored out of their minds. They wonder why they're defeated. They wonder why the flesh is so strong and why the the the thoughts and the motives and the hearts are being crashed by wickedness and darkness and weightiness. All the while, Agag is still alive in their lives. You didn't kill the thing.

You didn't totally repent. I read this verse, I said last verse. Here's the last verse. I read this verse in Isaiah today because I'm going through the book of Isaiah and it blessed me tremendously because it speaks something about the redemption of Jesus Christ. When you come to the latter portion of Isaiah, you read something quite intriguing as him being the redeemer.

In Isaiah 59 verse 20, I meditate. This was my meditation, this verse this morning. Isaiah fifty nine twenty, and a redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression declares the Lord. And it just like hit me. He's able to redeem.

Redeem you from whatever it is you need to be saved from on one condition, to those who turn away from transgression. And here we are, we have people in seminary saying that repentance is not necessary for salvation. A redeemer will come to Zion. That's Jesus Christ. And how is his redeeming work gonna happen?

How will you encounter his redemptive power to those who turn from transgression? That's who. And we wonder why we have a bunch of miserable Christians in the church. I'll tell you why, they haven't repented. I believe Jesus Christ died Good.

You have the same level of faith as demons in hell. What makes your faith different than the faith of Beelzebul and all the creatures of the underworld? They don't repent, you do. They don't turn from their wickedness, you do. Never mind the fact that salvation is not given to those people anyway.

And so I wanna say today, maybe even there's one tonight, this bible says, the world's getting scary. The world is falling apart. The world is crumbling underneath our feet as we speak and have bible study tonight. Who knows how many bible studies left before we can do this freely? So don't be surprised that from this pulpit, week after week, if it's gonna get a little intense, time is coming short.

Time is a wasting away. Have you given up everything? Have you surrendered everything? Okay. Maybe you have.

Let me ask you this Christian. Are you a Kenite? And you're associating with those you're not supposed to associate with? If you are, stay long enough according to revelation and you will share in their sin and when you share in their sin, you will share in the plagues. God is real.

God is real. He does stuff in this life. He actually, like, intervenes through time and in circumstances and it's glorious and terrifying at the same time. Like, this book is real, man. Like, when you share from it, you're sharing truths of things that God is able to do now.

How can you be bored during a Bible study? How can you be bored during a Sunday morning message when everything is being said relates to your life in the now? How can you be like, once God is sharing things about Himself that He's able to do and He will do? Let's pray. You know what's beautiful about Bible study?

You don't get to choose the message. The message chooses you. In other words, I I don't know what the text is gonna say. So sometimes it's really intense like it was tonight. Sometimes it's very comforting.

But regardless, we honor the Bible. We honor the Word of God. And we must preach it the way it's called to be preached. And I thank God for a house that honors truth. Two simple calls as a result of this Bible study.

Number one, some of you still have an A GAG. It could be pornography. It could be a relationship with someone that is pulling you to hell. You know what's so amazing about people and their friendships? Some of you love your friends so much, you're willing to go to hell with them.

It's fascinating to me. Some of you love your friends so much that you're willing to go to an eternal hell with them. It could be the love of money. It could be your lukewarmness. Some of you in here are Kenites.

You've stunted your growth for years because you're hanging around silly half converted Christians that haven't really met Christ, but are only in church because this is their culture. And you're wondering how why you're dead and dry and distracted. I'll tell you why, because your friend is dead and dry and distracted. And be careful, because association is often a sign of approval. Heavy message.

But as Keith Daniel said, at the end of the message, you can curse me at the door, you can pat me on the back. The one thing I care about at the end of it all is if I know that He smiles. Heavenly father, your word is sharp. It cuts always only to heal. Lord, in this place, your word says that in the last days, it will be like the days of Noah, the days of Lot.

And in the days of Noah, not only was there violence and perversion, compromise and unbelief, there was a man who preached righteousness. Noah was a preacher of righteousness. We pray God that we would be a people of righteousness in these last days. Lord, if your return is in our lifetime, purify us from head to toe. Cleanse us, wash us, sanctify us.

Lord, for those in here who have allowed a sin to live in their lives with no concern, no grief, in fact, convincing themselves that this is okay in the sight of God, when in fact you clearly say it in your word that it is wrong. Lord, may there be a fresh zeal to kill it once and for all by the power of the Holy Spirit. For those in here like the Kenites, who think that they can be with those of the world, and that they can be with those who are falsely professing Christ while living in gross sin, in compromise, in evil without no sign of wanting to change. Lord, may they see the seriousness of that kind of association. And may they see that the best thing that they can do is confront in love.

And if that confrontation doesn't work, then to have a wise separation, lest they be infected by their influence. Lord, we receive your word and sometimes, as Ezekiel experienced, it is sweet to the mouth and then it becomes bitter, but we receive the sweetness and the bitterness of it. We want it all because we know that however harsh it may be, strong it may be, confronting it may be, it is life. It is life to us and glory unto your name if we obey it. Lord, tonight in this place, we're not afraid of your word.

We embrace it totally. And we worship you in light of this truth because it is in warning that we derive wisdom. It is in warning that we receive instruction. It is in warning that we know life. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. If you don't know Jesus Christ in this place, I wanna let you know one thing. No matter what you have done, if you, while this music is playing, talk to God, talk to the living Christ, the resurrected reigning Lord who has brought you to this place to hear a message such as this. Realize that in love, he's asking you to respond to him. You talk to God, and you repent, and you talk to God, and you surrender to his lordship.

This is not behavioral modification. This is about Jesus knowing all that you've done and then love dying on the cross for you. Dying on the cross for you so that you can have life and life eternal. But what you must do in this place is acknowledge that you have sinned. You must do what the Amalekites didn't do, and that's realize that you have a history of rebellion against God.

And that if God were to count every one of your sins, you would deserve judgment from him. But also recognizing that in that truth, there is another one that is God is love. And even though your sins are mountainous, even though your sins, you would not even share them with your bestest of friends because you would blush and not blush, you would shrink with shame. Know that God already knows it, and he knows it. And Know that God already knows it, and He knows it, and still willing to forgive you of it.

He paid the price for it. God's wrath is satisfied. He will not judge you. He will not reject you. He will not push you away.

God will embrace you, and he will receive you into eternal life. I'm telling you, if you really know the love of God, if you receive this, there is such a supernatural work that's done in you, where you don't fear that God will judge you. I can go to bed every night and wake up every morning knowing one thing, God is not my judge anymore. He is my father. He is my father.

He will judge me for my actions in Christ basing my reward off of that, but my salvation is secure in him. Do you have that security? Ever since the days where I've been collecting coins from garbage bags, I didn't have that security until I was 20 years old. Every time there was an altar call. Every time somebody said, do you know I responded to every single one, almost.

Because I wasn't convinced that I was saved. I didn't get it. I didn't repent. I didn't surrender so that the Holy Spirit can do a once and for all job and save me. You can come to a place where you receive Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit will so enter into you that the whole world can stand before and say, condemned, condemned, condemned, and you can say with a smile, saved, saved, saved.

Talk to him tonight. Talk to him tonight. Go ahead, guys.